Digital image processing apparatus and method to photograph an image with subject eyes open

Abstract

Provided are a digital image processing apparatus and a method of controlling the same. The digital image processing apparatus includes a digital signal processing unit that recognizes a facial expression of a face from a photographed image, determines whether the eyes of the subject's face are closed, and re-photographs the image when the eyes are closed. The method of controlling the digital image processing apparatus includes: (a) receiving an image; (b) generating a photographed image by photographing the image; (c) checking whether the eyes on a face photographed on the photographed image are closed; and (d) generating a re-photographed image by re-photographing the image when the eyes are closed.

1. A digital image processing apparatus comprising a digital signal processing unit that recognizes a facial expression of a face of a subject from a photographed image, determines whether eyes on the face are closed by determining whether an upper set of eyelashes is separated from a lower set of eyelashes, and re-photographs the subject if the eyes are determined to be closed. 
     
     
       2. The digital image processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal processing unit comprises:
 a facial expression detecting unit that detects the facial expression of the face from the photographed image; 
 a facial expression determination unit that determines whether the eyes on the face are closed by determining whether the upper set of eyelashes is separated from the lower set of eyelashes; and 
 a re-photographing unit that generates a re-photographed image by re-photographing the subject if it is determined that the eyes are closed. 
 
     
     
       3. The digital image processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the facial expression detecting unit detects a re-photographed facial expression of a re-photographed face in the re-photographed image, and the facial expression determination unit determines whether re-photographed eyes in the re-photographed image are closed. 
     
     
       4. A method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 (a) receiving an image; 
 (b) generating a photographed image by photographing the image; 
 (c) checking whether an eye on the face in the photographed image is closed by determining whether an upper eyelash is separated from a lower eyelash; and 
 (d) generating a re-photographed image by re-photographing the image if the checking determines that the eye is closed. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein checking whether the eye on the face in the photographed image is closed comprises:
 detecting a facial expression from the photographed image; and 
 determining whether the eye in the detected facial expression is closed. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising measuring a ratio of a black pupil portion to a white portion of the eye. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the image is automatically re-photographed when the eye is closed. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining whether an eye in the re-photographed image is closed. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising re-photographing the image a second time when the eye in the re-photographed image is closed. 
     
     
       10. A method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 receiving a first image; 
 detecting a subject's face in the first image by recognizing a facial expression; 
 generating a second image if in the first image an upper set of eyelashes is separated from a lower set of eyelashes on the subject; 
 determining whether the upper set of eyelashes is separated from the lower set of eyelashes in the second image; and 
 generating a third image if it is determined that at least one set of eyelashes is not separated in the second image. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second image is generated automatically. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the facial expression is detected based on a size of the face. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the size of the face is detected based on color. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the size of the face is detected based on edges. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the facial expression is detected based on a position and direction of the face. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the position of the face is detected by calculating a distance between a center portion of the face and a center of a display on the digital image processing apparatus. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the direction of the face is detected from a triangle shape formed by a mouth and first and second eyes of the subject. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising storing the second image in a memory. 
     
     
       19. A digital image processing apparatus comprising a digital signal processing unit that recognizes a facial expression of a face of a subject from a photographed image, determines whether an eye on the face is closed by determining whether an upper eyelash of the subject is not separated from a lower eyelash of the subject, and automatically re-photographs the subject if the eye is determined to be closed.